Games
by valkyrie-fe
Summary: Sometimes Sideswipe's motivations were obvious – this wasn't one of those times. He gets more than he bargained for.


Actually just resubmitting this because I decided it didn't belong lumped in where it was. :T Same goes for another couple of things I'll be uploading.

That said, this is pure silliness. I'm sorry. (Not really.)

* * *

Jazz knew he was in for a show of _some_ sort the moment Prowl showed up at his quarters while he indulged Sideswipe and Blaster in some video games. Just watching the tactician attempt to process the sudden blast of noise – upbeat music, loud sound effects from the battling characters, raucous laughter and jeering from Blaster and Sideswipe – was well worth the almost scandalized look sent Jazz's way. Sunstreaker sat sullenly on the far side of the couch, not even paying attention to the new arrival. How Sideswipe had talked his twin into coming was beyond Jazz – Sunstreaker didn't participate in the game unless it was to face off one-on-one against Sideswipe in what appeared to be sibling rivalry death-matches. Fortunately, they were virtual.

"'Sup, Prowler?" Jazz called, grinning.

Prowl frowned at him. "You aren't participating in this... chaos?"

"I was," the saboteur chuckled. He lifted his controller. "Got knocked out by these bozos."

"Hey, watch who yer callin' a bozo," Blaster shot back. He smiled, but his attention never wavered from the screen.

"I know _exactly_ who I'm callin' a bozo," Jazz replied, shaking his head. He turned back to Prowl. "Whatcha need, Prowl? Didn't figure watchin' rounds of extreme virtual fightin' was yer type of recreational activity." The tactician stood in the entrance of the room still, his doors twitching with every sharp spike in volume, and sent Jazz a look of such distaste that he started laughing all over again.

"Hardly," Prowl replied. "I've mistakenly received some of _your_ work again, I simply stopped to inform you I dropped it off at your office."

Jazz smirked. "Didn' think I'd see the day o' _Prowl_ avoidin' work. _Or_ hackin' into my office," he said, purely for the annoyed rustle of door panels it got him. Really, he wouldn't antagonize Prowl so much if the bot didn't give such rewarding reactions.

"I am not _avoiding_ work," Prowl replied in clipped tones. "I am simply distributing responsibilities where they belong." He crossed his arms beneath his bumper. "And why should I extend you a courtesy that you do not extend to me?"

"Whatever ya say," Jazz replied. Any further response got cut short as Sideswipe erupted into a victorious cheer, both fists pumping into the air with one still held fast to his controller.

"Ahh slag," Blaster sighed, though he laughed all the same.

Arching a disapproving optic ridge at the lot, Prowl turned away. "I shall leave you all to your virtual barbarism, shall I?"

"What?" Sideswipe said, twisting to look over the couch. "No! Come play," he said. The wicked grin on his lips spelled good things for no one.

All optics collectively turned on Sideswipe. "Pardon?" Prowl said.

"What?" Sideswipe replied. He stared around at his companions, as though lost as to why his inviting Prowl to play a video game was met with such confusion. "C'mon, let's go! You're off-duty, too, right?" he chirped, looking back at Prowl.

"Well, yes, but I – "

"Then come _on_," the Lamborghini insisted. He patted the cushion next to him, before swatting the grey thigh close to his hand. "Budge over, Blaster."

Shaking his head, Blaster scooted closer to Jazz. "Dunno what yer tryin' to pull, Sides..."

"Nothing," Sideswipe retorted. "Just a game."

Prowl, finally recovering himself, cleared his vocals and swept his doors back. "That's... nice, but I'll have to decline your invitation."

Sideswipe shot a grin his way. "It wasn't an invitation."

"Oh?" Prowl punctuated this with a raised optic ridge. "Then what was it?"

"A challenge."

In the back of his processors, Jazz was aware how silly they all looked, staring from Prowl to Sideswipe like they were following some sports match. But he could practically see the gears turning in that head of Prowl's; something passed between the two, apparently, because Prowl suddenly stepped forward, near Jazz, and reached a hand out. "May I use your controller?"

Flabbergasted as he was, Jazz still caught the triumphant grin that spread across Sideswipe's lips. He glanced back at Prowl. "But – I mean, you ever played this before?"

Prowl gave Jazz a long-suffering look. "I do not play games, Jazz, you know this. Your controller?"

Jazz handed it over, finally, with a soft chuckle. "Whatever you say."

Nodding, Prowl circled around the couch, perching on the edge of the space that had been cleared for him. He thoroughly inspected the controller as Sideswipe started setting a new match up.

Sideswipe glanced aside at the tactician. "The controls are – "

"I believe I can figure them out," Prowl replied. That earned him a strange look from the red twin.

"Alright," he said with a shrug. "Your choice." They chose their avatars, though Sideswipe had to wait impatiently for almost a breem – he knew, of course, which character _he_ wanted. But Prowl cycled through each one, weighing them against each other, before he made his selection.

Jazz honestly tried not to laugh too hard. When forced to wait, Sideswipe made the most interesting faces.

"Would you like to examine each stage as well?" Sideswipe remarked.

Prowl gave him a patient but blank look. "Your choice," he said, arching that optic ridge again. But he soon sent a disapproving look Jazz's way as the Porsche dissolved into laughter, breaking Blaster's silent resolve as well.

"Sorry," Blaster said as he slowly recovered. "But you gotta admit, this is better than the game itself."

"I do not see what is so amusing," Prowl replied. He turned his attention back to the screen, clearly ignoring the laughing bots to his right. To his left, Sunstreaker gave a derisive snort.

"Neither do I," he replied. "Sideswipe acting like a moron is hardly new material."

"Hey!" Sideswipe shoved his twin's shoulder. The golden twin growled and sat up for retaliation, but –

"Enough," Prowl snapped. "Either we play out this charade or you two brawl like younglings, in which case I will gladly leave." The younger bots directed identical glares at him, but Sideswipe muttered something unintelligible and sat straight again, flicking through the stages on the screen with his controller. Sunstreaker snorted and glowered at the tactician, but if Prowl noticed he gave no indication.

Blaster nudged Jazz, though there was no need; even off duty, Prowl didn't necessarily have to shout with Ironhide's volume – or at all – to get his point across, and the proof had just played for them to see. Or maybe Sideswipe just really wanted to play this game. Sometimes Sideswipe's motivations were obvious – this wasn't one of those times.

"Ready?" the red twin said. Some of that playful light glowed in his optics again, though the grin he shot Prowl's way was sharper than it had been.

"As I'll ever be," Prowl replied, doors twitching once.

Sideswipe input the stage. The game was on.

And to Jazz's perspective, not to a great start – not for Prowl, who seemed to have trouble adjusting to the control scheme. Sideswipe had no problems, of course, and easily cut his opponent down in the first round. Slowly, the grinning, mischievous bot surfaced again. "You even trying, Prowl?" he taunted. Prowl said nothing. "If I wanted easy wins, I'd have given Sunstreaker a controller."

Sunstreaker snorted. "You keep running that vocalizer of yours," he said. "It's all you're good for."

"Yeah, yeah," Sideswipe returned, his focus back on the screen as the second round loaded up.

It went hardly better than the first.

"This is starting to get boring," Sideswipe said. A cheeky smirk, reserved for when he antagonized Prowl, now dominated his faceplates.

Prowl glanced at him. "There are two more rounds," he said.

Sideswipe snorted. "Your choice," he purred out. Prowl nodded, door panels flicking.

The round started, and a dramatic change unfolded onscreen. The fight was one-sided again, but this time, it was Prowl who dominated the scene. No longer was he on the defensive, struggling with attack combinations – instead, he went offensive, obliterating any expectations Sideswipe had for the round, and winning even quicker than the red mech achieved victory in the first round.

Sideswipe stared at the screen, then at Prowl. "What the _slag_ was that?"

The tactician just gave him that placid look again. "The third round," he replied. Jazz could _hear_the smile in Prowl's tone, even if the bot's faceplates remained neutral. There was a telltale glimmer in those blue optics.

Jazz started laughing again. Oh, he got it now. He understood. But Sideswipe didn't, because he instantly continued for the fourth round. And got his aft handed to him again. And once again in the tie-breaker round. Now he made loud noises about how could that possibly happen, Prowl obviously had played this before – and eventually, Blaster and Jazz were exhorted into the game again. Sunstreaker was quick to give up his unused controller.

But no matter what, Prowl won each time. Effortlessly. Even if they ganged up on him, it made no difference – he would systematically put them all down and claim the win.

When nearly a cycle had passed, Prowl relinquished his seat. "I believe I have spent more than enough time on this frivolity. I appreciate the attempted challenge, but it is not worth any more of my time. If you'll excuse me." He placed the controller carefully on the couch where he had been sitting.

"Now hang on, I want to know – "

"Yes, Sideswipe?" Prowl paused momentarily, looking over his shoulder. There was that glimmer again. Oh if only the red bot stopped to consider that he was being teased.

"Well – just – " Sideswipe fumbled. Vocabulary had been robbed from him, it seemed, though if it were from anger or frustration or disbelief wasn't clear.

Their attentions were drawn to Jazz again, who practically cackled on his end of the couch. "Sideswipe, Sideswipe," he said, shaking his head. "You just don't get it."

"What?" Sideswipe demanded.

Jazz grinned. "There are good reasons why you don't just challenge the head tactician to a virtual battle."

* * *

I think " " is one of the more amusing filenames in my fic folder. :B


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